


We can be heroes, just for one day

by httpspotter



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 04:50:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14783883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/httpspotter/pseuds/httpspotter
Summary: It sets two weeks after Civil War.Tony is hopeless, drinking too much and feeling miserable. Until a visit from a very talkative teenager boy cheers him up.





	We can be heroes, just for one day

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys,
> 
> So, I rewatched Civil War and this happened...
> 
> It was going to be just an angst about Tony being sad because of Steve, but I'm not just made of sadness and tears, so I end up including Peter on it. Yes, the title is from David Bowie's song "Heroes". Also, this is my first fic with the MCU characters so let me know if it worked.
> 
> Enjoy it!

**It sets two weeks after Civil War**

 

Tony Stark had spent the yesterday evening drinking himself to sleep. Now he was lying on the floor, his left elbow in a puddle of whisky with a piece of broken glass stuck on his skin. The drops of blood that fell from the injury mixed with the alcohol, and the liquid had acquired a light red colour. It wasn’t amazing that Tony wouldn’t wake up even with the ache, he had slept on worst conditions and, to be honest, this pain wasn’t the hardest one.

Steve wrote on that letter he didn’t like the idea of Tony rattling around the mansion alone. Only if he knew that was the place Stark had been for the last two weeks. The reason that kept him at the compound on the first place was the need of taking care of his wanted criminal friends who were behind bars. After Steve took them away there was nothing left to occupy his mind. He didn’t have to fight the government for anyone. Nonetheless, he was the only one that could find the lost avengers anyway, and he was never going to.

He didn’t have the strength to find them. Avoiding everyone, rejecting all calls (even Rhodey and Pepper’s) and drinking to forget, it was how he was spending his days. Fuck, he wasn’t even able to touch the computer to design something or try to come up with an improvement to his suit… These were the things that would always help on the bad days, the anxiety crisis ones, not that Tony would admit he had those.

But, even for him, it was getting very hard to avoid the subject. Because this bad feeling wouldn’t go away, at any cost; he would wake up feeling miserable and would fall asleep with a hole on his chest. His metal cold heart was aching.

However, Tony couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t getting better. After some drinks, he wasn’t able to remember why the hell he was mad at Rogers in the first place, but still the pain was there, an unwanted guest, eating him alive. He never felt this bad before.

When he opened the eyes that morning, with the sunlight kissing his face, Tony made a decision. Although he couldn’t care less about the world or the government, this – whatever this was – had to stop. Or at least he should know the reason why he still wasn’t able to get up of his ass and move on with his super hero life of failures.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

The clock was ticking and he needed some answers.

Tony took off the piece of glass stuck on his elbow, didn’t bothering on cleaning the wet of the puddle or the blood that was spilling on his arm. Just one thing mattered. He walked slowly to put up his broken suit. He closed his eyes before asking with a crack on his voice. “What is this?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. It’s the electric part of the suit that needs to be fix-”

“No, I mean…” the next words came as a whisper. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Everything seems alright. What are you feeling?”

Tony closed his eyes and didn’t answer. How to sum up all the mess he was at the moment? Something he couldn’t even understand? The question was repeated once, twice. He putted some whisky on a glass but instead of drinking he throw it against the other side of the room, screaming. “Damn it, Rogers!”

“Oh, I see.”

He sighed in exhaustion. “You see what?”

“I have your diagnostic, Sir.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

He didn’t seem interest to know anymore.

“You’re heartbroken”

Normally, Tony would shout it about how wrong the diagnostic was; how could Friday know his emotions more than himself? But all the suddenly, it made sense. “Heart-”

“Heartbroken, Sir”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” Tony said softly, turning down the system and leaving the suit. He leant against the wall, letting his body slide down to the floor, not giving a damn about how much it hurt when his ass hit the ground.

All this time, all these feelings about Steve; anger, disappointment, frustration… There was a most screaming and painful one he wasn’t able to acknowledge until now: he missed him so much it physically hurts. He never came to hate him, not really. And, knowing Steve, he would dare to say neither did he. But they were in such different places back then, now even more. It was stupidity to believe a deal with the fucking government was worth more than their friendship. Nothing should ever be above that, and he realized that now. Maybe Steve did too, wherever he was.

It didn’t matter anymore, though, or it did?

“I’m sorry it’s too late for us…” he whispered, letting the tears fall. 

It felt like ages had passed when he finally stood up. The bad news was that the emptiness didn’t leave him. And the good news was… Well, there wasn’t really any, but at least he wasn’t mad at Steve anymore. However, the anger was substituted for a worst feeling: longing for him.

Tony missed everything about him. Steve smiling at him with his damn perfect teeth and the way he had begun to laugh at his jokes. He missed the fights and how all didn’t really matter at the end of the day because they always had a world to save. He missed his happiness when understanding a reference and his annoying sense of justice. Rogers was the perfect idealized hero that wouldn’t even swear.

Still, he was the one that broke Tony like anyone or anything ever before. Not even the events on New York and all the places he destroyed let him this depressed. And yet, all he wanted was to hug him and say he was sorry. Maybe punch Barnes, too – not only for killing his mother, but for being the reason why Steve was gone.

He blinked, because he had stand up so fast his eyes got blurry. Then his vision focused on the shield at the corner of the room. Tony didn’t dare to touch it since he brought it home that day. Until now… he picked up and hung where once there was a paint of him as iron man – the paint that was now lying broken on the floor.

Tony also searched for this specific paper ball on the trash can. He unrolled the paper, trying to undo the crumpled as much as possible.

It was Steve’s letter.

He kept in the pocket of his grey sweatpants and just went he was about to drink a glass of wine to vary of all the whisky from the day before, the bell rang.

There wasn’t anyone at home besides him so Friday was the one that announced Peter Parker – the spidey boy. What the hell was he doing there?

Still, Tony answered the door, not caring about his messy hair, dark circles and the blood on his elbow. Peter was standing there with an Avengers t-shirt, cuffed jeans and an All Star converse. He nodded, giving Tony the mouth closed smile white people would give you when they were trying to be nice.

“Hello, Mr. Stark”

“Something happen?” Tony asked, recomposing his cold and not caring about the world tone of voice. “It’s the end of world? Aunt May found out about your spidey thing and wants to kill us both?”

“I was just hoping you could help me with my homework. I have this essay I need to write about-”

Tony was about to close the door on his face, but Peter hold it with a strength he would always forget the boy had. “Wait, wait… It’s not really about the homework.”

“Don’t tell me. You’re a terrible liar, kid.”

“Yeah, actually… Uncle Rhodey said I should stop by and-”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Uncle Rhodey?”

“He said I should call him that way…”

“Of course he did.”

“Should I call you Uncle Stark?”

Tony frown his forehead not believing what he was just hearing. “No, no… Kid, look, I appreciate Rhodey concern to send you here-”

Now Peter was the one to interrupt him. “Well… To be honest, he said a phone call should do. That you would answer if it was me, because I’m a kid and stuff, which I found pretty offensive-”

“You’re going anywhere with this?”

“I suggested I should come. My exams are over, I nailed,” he didn’t say to look proud of himself, in fact, he seemed a bit bored like it was the usual, what he expected. “Aunt May likes you and is proud about my internship and… I was… worried about you, Mr. Stark.”

“I’m fine”

“But can I stay?”

Tony didn’t answer.

“Please, I came all this way…”

He was giving a puppy look that made Tony rolled up his eyes, but it seemed to work because he agreed.

“Alright, but you’re leaving in the morning or May will kill me”

“No, she won’t- Oh, wait. I’m staying over? Like, for the night? Oh, that’s so cool!” suddenly he was the happiest boy in the world. “Oh my God, is that mean we’re gonna watch movies and stuff?”

“Definitely not”

“Because I can’t be your drink buddy, you know. I’m not older enough to, so I thought-“

“Peter, just shut up, okay?” Tony held the boy’s arm in an involuntary movement. “I will take a bath. Don’t touch anything here. You can go play with my toys on the basement,” Peter's eyes lit up. “I will be there in ten minutes.”

Having Peter there was really good for Tony. For this moment when the boy was almost jumping of excitement with one of Tony’s most cool drones, he allowed himself to smile with him. His happiness was so contagious, even the great Iron Man with his broken heart couldn’t help but to laugh too.

For some reason, Tony end up making him a question that normally he would feel insecure about it, fearing people would see him as weak or something. But Peter made him really comfortable in just a few hours.

“You still consider me a hero?”

Tony thought he hasn’t heard because he was so entertained with the toys, but Peter was just wondering why his idol even has this kind of doubt.

“Yeah, I mean… You’re like my inspiration. I’m as excited for being here with you, Mr. Stark, as I am playing with these amazing robots. But…” here it comes. “I don’t think the hero part is the most impressive one, you’re a really nice person, a honourable one, and I believe this count more than anything, because, you know, to be on this job and not letting all the bad things people say about you, all the failures and things you lost along the way destroys you and stopping you for fighting for those who need… It takes a lot of empathy to, and it’s what I see in- Oh god, I’m talking too much again, am I? I’m sorry, Mr. Stark, I’m sorry. Yes, of course you’re still a hero to me.”

Tony wouldn’t let it show how much those words touched him, so he changed the subject. “It’s late, isn’t it? Yeah, it’s late…” he checked the clock on the wall. “It passed your bedtime, kid.”

Peter nodded, asking himself if Tony was mad at him. But as he walked the boy to the bedroom where he was going to sleep, Tony asked. “Would May mind if you stay a few days? You can tell her it’s for the internship. If you want to, of course”

“Yes! I mean, no, she wouldn’t. And yes, I would love it.”

“It’s just…” Tony cleared his throat. “You’re a very talent kid I think I could teach you a thing or two. Also, I could use some help to fix my broken suits and you could learn how to make some adjusts on yours in the process.”

“It sounds great,” he seemed happier about this than about nailing his exams. “And, Mr. Stark, I know you must be sad about Captain-”

“I’m not,”

“It’s just because I notice the shield on the wall… And… I just want to say I think you two are going to be fine. Friends fight too, right? It must be complicated when there are bigger questions involved but still... they, you guys, will find the way back to each other.”

Again, Tony was speechless for a moment. Damn, he really was a smart kid. The children, in fact, know some things the older ones don’t. We tend to forget as life passes by, and that’s why we need them around, to reminder us what really matters.

“You are talking too much today, kid. Go to bed, or you’ll be working as my waiter instead.”

“Right… Good night, Mr. Stark.”

“Night, kid”

“Can I play with the shield tomorrow?”

“Go get some sleep, Peter.”

Tony could doubt he was a hero sometimes, but he would never doubt anymore he was one to Peter. That night, he didn’t need to drink to sleep, because the boy’s words stuck with him, being the most effective lullaby. That night, just for that one day, he was Peter’s hero and that warmed his heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
